I have always had this silly fantasy of letting my vizsla Simon Henry loose in a fancy restaurant just to see what would happen. I guess the next best thing is letting a herd of goats partake of a feast in a field with beautiful people.

We had such a fun time shooting Part III of Fashionable Farmers. It was the last shot for the day and it was worth the wait for sure. Matt, our stylist put up a tripod to hang a chandelier and laid out a delicious spread on the table and then it was go time. It was pretty funny to try to ignore the goats jumping up on the table and basically devouring the food,.

Hope you enjoy the images and be sure to scroll to the bottom to see the behind the scenes!

What do you get when you have a team of creatives, freezing cold weather on a farm in North Carolina some chickens and a donkey named Eeyore? Well, a take on American Gothic - of course!

Awhile ago I had the opportunity to visit with super talented stylist Matt Tuttle on his farm in Stoneville, North Carolina. It was so fun to see the beauty of his property and all the amazing animals he has there. I guess there is quite a bit of farmer in me so I was in my element meeting the goats & sheep and donkeys. After brainstorming a bit we came up with the idea of Fashionable Farmer and gathered our team of stylists and talent! On a chilly morning we braved the cold weather and animals to make this happen.

I have a passion for 19th century British history and literature, which was the focus of my undergraduate education. I gravitate towards the romantic literature of the Victorian era when I’m searching for inspiration or have some downtime to myself. So I guess it makes sense that this love of history and beauty has begun to seep into my work.

After being on a shoot for a Canadian magazine, Style at Home, I wanted to shoot at a historic estate somewhere in Ireland. We found the idyllic Carton House just outside of Dublin, a dreamy estate with beautiful rooms and a marvelous exterior. We loved working with their incredible team and all the Irish talent and designers that my producer Catherine Schramm made possible.

Isn't this model, Becky Wilkinson, just stunning? Her eyes, features and this dress take my breath away.

I love Ireland so much — the rich, lush texture of the landscape combined with the friendly people makes my heart sing. I have been fortunate enough to visit twice while on assignment over the last few years, and on my last trip I was able to stay a few extra days to have a little vacation and also to shoot some lovely dresses with a fab Irish team. It was a dream come true to shoot at the gorgeous Carton House, a historic-mansion-turned-luxury-hotel just outside of Dublin in Kildare. As I explored the property on the morning of our shoot, I was stopped in my tracks at nearly every turn. The fog, the historic grounds and the mansion itself was simply stunning.

Aren’t these dresses by the Irish designer Helen Cody just divine? We were so grateful to have such exquisite creations to pair with the beautiful setting and talent. I felt transported to another time in the morning mist that appeared on the morning of the shoot. I hope you enjoy the images because they make me think of one of my favorite 19th century novels, Jane Eyre.

Check out my newest promo that’s likely the closest to my heart! Windswept is my new series escaping to the the beautiful windblown lands of Nova Scotia, where I grew up. The piece comes packaged in a “signature” turquoise box and is wrapped in a hand-died ribbon representing the hand-made dresses you will see flowing throughout the series. The book rests upon green moss embodying the very land that the Cape Breton Highlands rest upon. In a serendipitous encounter, I came upon a poem by Sir Christopher Ondaatje, called “Daydream”, which encapsulates my feelings about Nova Scotia perfectly. These magical words seemed a perfect way to lead the visual journey that is Windswept

I very clearly remember the moment when I discovered White Point. My Dad and I were driving around in Cape Breton and I noticed this side road that led out towards the sea and a town I had never been to before. How could I resist? What awaited was a quaint small fishing village but it was the walk out to the point that took my breath away. I don’t know what it is about where the land meets the sea but it often brings me to tears.

I knew we had to use this as one of our locations and Unabashed Apparel’s seafoam dress was perfect for the first look. The beautiful moss, the rocky point that leads out to the sea and the breezy Nova Scotia air – we couldn’t have found a more beautiful location!

Hope you enjoy seeing a few more fav photos from this day of shooting and then more behind the scenes.

On a characteristically windy Nova Scotian day, we went to my friend Alana’s farm to shoot with her horse and a gorgeous crimson dress. I felt so inspired by the flowing ribbons blowing in the breeze and of course that ridiculous red hair of Xavia’s! It was so fun to shoot with a horse, but it does add a whole other dimension. We were very lucky that at the end of the day we were treated to a candlelit crew dinner, hosted on the farm with yummy food made by our fantastic PA Heather Myers.

The next location took us to the magnificent Cape Breton Highlands. If you ever get a chance to visit, don’t pass up the chance! Standing on the cliffs and looking back on the Cabot trail has to be one of the most gorgeous views on this planet. We had to do a fair amount of hiking to get to our spot but it was worth it and I hope you enjoy seeing the photos.

I remember after we wrapped the shoot for the evening, Xavia and I went to find some dinner because she was starving. We went to a little local chicken shack in Cheticamp and when Xavia walked in the door everyone’s eyes just bugged out! Here was this beautiful young woman dressed like a sea nymph just casually sashaying into a little dive. It makes me chuckle whenever I think of that moment . . .

Another early morning . . . and our dedicated crew is ready for another marathon shooting day! We had two locations on this day and both were spectacular: Green Cove is a huge rock that juts out into the sea on the east coast of Cape Breton and Ingonish beach so lovely with its smooth gray stones and soft sandy beach. I am so thankful for the artistry and creativity of Fred Connors and Susan Johnson Smith.